Thangsgiving
by AlltheThangs
Summary: Richonne, family and friends plan a Thanksgiving holiday to remember. How will it all work out? And yes, Shane is the cat. AU, no zombies. ***Moved from T to a soft M for language and adult situations to be on the safe side.*** (Richonne for the Holidays Vol 2 - multi-chapter)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 ******* _ **During this holiday season, I'd like to declare that I don't own TWD or anything to do with TWD.*****_

 **Me: This is a series of stories relating to Richonne and crew that I'm calling Richonne For The Holidays, all in the same AU with no zombies. Indulge Me was the first, this is the second. Readers of You Brought Me Back will recognize Michonne's family in a happier timeline here. See if you can spot all the references!**

"So we aren't getting your parents this year," Michonne asked Rick while typing up the invite on Facebook. "Should I still include them on the list for the event?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Mam gets weird sometimes about stuff like that. Even though they'll be in New Hampshire with Aunt Stacey, she'd probably still be offended if we didn't at least ask." Rick shook his head a little, letting loose a chuckle over his impossible mother. He loved her...but she wasn't easy. "We're getting Odette, though, right?"

"Yup, Mama's coming. Langston and the boys, too. Genevieve will be going to her husband's family with Zara and Demetrius. Simeon will be in Louisiana visiting Daddy's family with Liane, since we went last year and he knows we're hosting this year," she explained.

"No Simeon and Liane? That's too bad." Rick liked Simeon a lot, but then again, her favorite brother was a lot like his wife. (He himself was an only child who'd never had the chance to grow up with a brother or sister) Rick enjoyed watching the two of them interact, plus Liane was a kind, funny girl who had the sharp wit of her father and aunt.

"That does it for family, now let's take a look at friends." Michonne spoke half to Rick, half to herself. "Glenn, Maggie, Enid and Jared for sure. Carol, too, though we may also end up with that guy she's seeing now, Ezekiel. You remember...we went to dinner with them a couple weeks ago."

"Yeah. He's the zookeeper that also does the Shakespeare stuff for community theatre, right? Nice guy, but the way he speaks is…" Rick trailed off, not sure how to say it without being rude.

Michonne didn't have Rick's reservations. "Oh, he's definitely odd. But I guess it helps him stay in character while he's working on a play and he makes Carol happy, so we can deal with it if we have to. Sasha and Abraham will be in Houston, and Andrea is going out to eat at Woodbury's with that new guy she started seeing, Phillip." A tone crept into her voice which made Rick crack up.

"Look, I know you're protective of your best friend but give this guy a chance! You've met the man exactly once. Didn't he lose his wife a year and a half ago and doesn't he have a young daughter? He's probably not keeping heads in a fish tank in his basement, if that's what you're worried about," he soothed her.

She huffed a little. "Okay, okay. But you know she doesn't have the best taste in men. Are you inviting Daryl?"

"I'd planned on it. You know how his family is, and Merle is overseas right now."

Her nose wrinkled. "Can you ask him nicely to please make sure he takes a shower? I know he's out hunting bounties for days on end but I'd like to make sure our guests smell only the food cooking."

"If nothing else, I'll have Carol bring it up. You know she's got a way with him. T-Dog might stop by after his church's event. You know what a big heart he's got. He's feeding the homeless again this year, him and Jacqui."

"I think that just about does it, since Maggie told me that Hershel's visiting Beth at Julliard for a few weeks. Okay! Event set. I said we'd take care of the bird and dessert, the rest we're going to farm out to our guests." She gave him a wicked grin. "Though I DO hope Carol brings those cookies!"

Rick reached over and took her laptop, shutting it closed and placing it on the nightstand. He brought his hand up to caress her cheek.

"Now that you've seen to our family and friends, Mrs Grimes, how about we see to each other?"

She responded by giving him a lingering kiss. "Sounds perfect. Let me go feed the cat first, though."

"That damn animal," Rick grumbled. "Should've drowned him after Lori left. She was the only one that loved him."

"Maybe, but now he loves me and Judith. Leave Shane alone. He's a good kitty!"

 **To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 ******* _ **I don't own TWD or its stuff. Suing me would be very cruel.*****_

 **Me: I may just be too silly for words. You decide. I really hope y'all enjoy...and I love knowing what works for you...and what doesn't!**

Michonne was comfortably laid out on the floor in the family room with Judith, helping her color. This particular coloring book was based on a children's book series about two sisters named Lizzie and Mika who liked looking at flowers and playing with mice and rabbits in the woods. (Personally, Michonne thought the expression that was usually on Lizzie's face was creepy as hell...but Judith seemed to really like the series, so Michonne read the books to her but tried not to look too closely at Lizzie)

"What color should we make Mika's dress, Juju?" Michonne asked the little girl, examining the picture they were coloring. She may not like Lizzie, but she found Mika's character charming.

"Purple!" Judith exclaimed, reaching for the crayon box. Michonne chuckled, not surprised. It was Judith's favorite color.

They both were startled out of their reverie by Carl stalking into the family room and depositing his backpack on the floor with a heavy thump. Michonne raised her gaze to inspect the boy, frankly more than a little shocked. Carl was usually even-keeled and not subject to fits of temper.

She made note of his tense posture and the stormy expression in his eye. (The other eye was obscured by his sheaf of hair which he would not cut, no matter how hard a time his father gave him) Carl flopped down on the couch and crossed his arms, mouth set in a hard line.

"Juju, why don't you color with Shane for a bit while I talk to your brother, okay?" Michonne got to her feet, scooped Shane up from the ottoman and settled him next to Judith. The big, burly brown tomcat started to purr. There was no one in the household he loved more than Judith...and no one he hated more than Rick.

Michonne flopped down on the couch next to Carl and set her own face in a grumpy expression, hoping to make him laugh. He cut a quick glance her way but remained stone-faced.

"Hmmmmmm, let me guess, you went into the kitchen and discovered I ate the last Big Kat, huh?" she teased him gently. He stared straight ahead, no sign of a smile to be seen.

She sighed deeply. Whatever it was, it must be serious. "Okay, Carl...out with it. What happened?"

He didn't say anything for a minute, then finally mumbled, "I'm just upset because Sophia forgot to bring my comics with her today and I really wanted to read them."

Michonne raised an eyebrow at the boy. Even of that were true, Carl would no sooner lose his temper with shy, sweet Sophia then he would disobey his father. "Try again, champ," she said quietly, slinging her arm around his shoulder.

"I-I have this new science teacher, Mr. Porter who's a real jerk. He never shuts up and he's this big know-it-all douch-I, mean, dork. He gave me extra homework because he caught me making fun of his dumb mullet," Carl said in a low voice, not meeting her eyes.

"It's official: You're the worst liar in the world. And watch the language, kiddo. I'd hate to have to tell your dad. Why not make it easy on both of us and tell me what's REALLY wrong? If you do, I can help," she wheedled in her most persuasive voice.

Carl examined his Chuck Taylor's for a few seconds before responding grudgingly, "Enid likes this new guy at our school, Ron Anderson. He wears this dumb beanie and has a pool table at his house and his dad's a doctor."

 _Bingo,_ Michonne thought. "Did she tell you she likes him?" she queried, keeping her voice light.

"Not, like, with words or anything. But her friends were talking about how cute he is...and she agreed. Plus when I asked her if she wanted to come over to play Xbox she said she couldn't because she was going to Ron's," he said gloomily.

Michonne suppressed a smile. _Ah, to be fifteen and in love._ "Maybe she just wants to be his friend because he's new, and doesn't have any," she suggested reasonably.

"Yeah, but then why did she say he's cute?" Carl muttered.

"Well, he can't POSSIBLY be cuter than you!" she cooed, pinching his cheek.

"C'mon Mich...cut it out!" Carl protested, squirming away from her.

"I mean it, handsome. You're as good looking as your daddy. When Enid comes over on Thanksgiving, she's gonna forget all about Ron when she sees you."

"Yeah? Why's that?" Carl asked suspiciously, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"Because we're gonna grab you some snazzy new threads this weekend after I finish up the plans for the Kaufman building and maybe see about getting you a cool haircut."

"I'm NOT cutting my hair!"

"Whatever you say, champ. Just the threads, then. But she won't be able to resist you." Michonne winked at him. "Now let's head to the kitchen and split that Big Kat. Planning makes me hungry."

"I thought you said you ate it."

"Nope. We always share. Now c'mon."

 **To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _ *****Usual disclaimers. All the TWD stuff and thangs belong to people who aren't me. Only the whimsy is mine.*****_

 **Me: It may be a more light-hearted story, but what holiday would be complete without a little drama? Don't hate me too much, it won't be super-angsty.**

Rick put the finishing touches on lunch for Judith, which was nothing more elaborate than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crusts cut off, carrots and some milk. He was no cook, that was for sure, but thankfully, Judith's tastes weren't yet developed enough that she'd find fault with what he'd prepared.

He set the plate and glass before her on the kitchen table and ruffled her hair. "Carrots first, Jude, okay?"

She grinned at him, the gap at the front of her mouth where she'd just recently lost a baby tooth inexplicably charming. She looked a lot as Lori had at that age. What he had ceased to find adorable in the woman who'd left when Judith was barely a year old was an entirely different matter when it came to his daughter. "Okay, Daddy," she replied, picking up one of the baby carrots and crunching it loudly.

"That's my girl," he praised.

The doorbell rang, not unexpectedly. "That'll be your Aunt Carol," Rick told Judith. "I'm going to go let her in. You keep workin' on those carrots."

He opened the front door to find Carol and Sophia standing there, the former loaded down with bags and baking pans and the latter with her thin arms wrapped around a huge stock pot. "You could've made two trips, you know," he teased gently, reaching out to take two bags from Carol and the stock pot from Sophia.

Carol laughed. "True, but I'm running behind as it is anyway! That contractor needs to hurry up and finish his renovation on my kitchen. Why I was crazy enough to start baking for a living…"

Rick led them inside. "Your stuff's amazing, that's why. And you didn't hear this from me, but even though we're doin' the turkey and dessert, 'Chonne wouldn't mind some of your cookies."

"Even with business being as crazy as it is, I'll find the time," Carol promised. "Thanks so much for letting me use your stove top and ovens, I'm hoping this won't be for too much longer. You and Maggie and Hershel have been so great about letting me use your kitchens during all this."

"You're family," Rick said firmly. "It's no problem. You guys hungry? I may not be much of a cook, but I can make a mean peanut butter sandwich." He placed the bags and stock pot on the island in the kitchen.

Carol chortled. "We ate before coming over, but thanks for the offer!"

Sophia situated herself at the table next to Judith while Rick helped Carol get set up in the kitchen. "Where's Michonne and Carl?" Sophia asked.

"Went to the mall. They were bein' a little secretive, so I'm not sure what they'll come home with," Rick related, his tone conspiratorial.

At that moment, Shane sauntered into the kitchen, but immediately started hissing and growling low when he spotted Rick.

Rick resisted the urge to kick the damn cat, knowing that it upset Judith when he was mean to Shane in any way. "Jude?" he queried. "You done with lunch? You and Sophia want to take Shane in the other room and maybe watch a movie or somethin'?"

Judith, who had just downed the last of her milk, picked Shane up and cuddled him close. "Want to watch Frozen, Sophia?" It was a movie both girls loved.

"Sure," Sophia answered enthusiastically. The girls headed for the living room with Shane, who was now in a considerably better mood, in tow.

"That cat still hates your guts," Carol noted, starting to mix the batter for her brownies. "Lori never wanted to take him?"

Rick snorted. "When Lori left, she really left. She took her clothes, her perfume and half our savings account and that was it."

"Sorry," Carol apologized. "I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject."

"It was all a while ago, no need to be sorry. Once 'Chonne came into the picture, I'd worked mostly through all that Lori crap already. I was pretty crazy for the first year...but after that I could see we were always a bad fit. Sounds weird to say, but she was right to leave."

Carol harrumphed, mixing the batter with increasing vigor. "Maybe she was right to leave you, but not her kids. She may not have been your wife anymore, but she was still their mother." She knew how sporadic and slight Lori's involvement with her children had been since she left.

Rick sighed deeply. "I know it...and I wanted to ask your advice on somethin'."

"Of course." Carol put the wooden spoon down.

"I don't want to interfere with your baking," Rick said sheepishly.

"I can multi-task. I've had years of practice." She picked up the batter bowl and started pouring batter into the baking pans. "Go on."

"I got this letter from Lori a few days ago in the mail. Things went bust with the last guy she was seein', and right now she's staying on a friend's couch. She doesn't have family around here, anymore. Her parents are both gone, her sister's in California and her aunt Jeannie passed away last year."

"And you got us in the divorce," Carol interjected, turning the dials on the ovens to preheat them.

Rick chuckled. "Yup. I've definitely ended up the luckier one. In the letter she talks about how she knows she hasn't really been there for the kids and that she's been selfish. She says she wants to see them...and me. She wants to stop by for Thanksgiving, if I'll let her. She says...she wants to be their mother again."

Carol's eyebrows shot up. "I know you rarely have contact with her, but she knows about Michonne, right?"

"Yeah, she's heard about her. She's never met her and the last time we spoke was before 'Chonne and I got married, so she may not know that part of it, yet."

"You were married almost a year ago, Rick!"

"I know. I've gotten used to Lori not really being a part of the picture anymore. Judith barely knows she exists, she was so young when Lori left. It bothers Carl more...but I think 'Chonne has helped with that some because they get along so well. I don't know what to do. Technically, she is their mother."

"What does Michonne think?"

"I...I don't know. I haven't told her yet," Rick admitted, shame-faced.

Carol sighed as she loaded the brownies into the ovens to bake. "Look, if you want to know what my opinion is...I think you should tell Lori to go to hell. But that's just me...and you know after all the shit I went through with Ed before he got run over by that bus that I'm not the forgiving type. But if you want my advice...you need to tell Michonne. Be honest with her about what you're thinking and why you're thinking it. No matter how it plays out...it's not an easy situation."

"True enough. But...how do I explain to Michonne about having the letter for the last few days?"

Carol levelled him with a stern gaze. "You're on your own there, buster."

 **To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _ *****All the TWD stuff belongs to Kirkman, Gimple and other people. Not I.*****_

 **Me: Okay, short chapter this time, but...it's Carchonne.**

"What about this one? I think It'd look nice." Michonne held the light pink shirt up to Carl's chest.

They were in one of the mall's higher-end clothing shops that specialized in men's dress wear and suits. A suit would be WAY too formal, but a nice button-down shirt that wasn't plaid or made of flannel and a pair of pants that weren't jeans seemed like a pretty safe bet, and definitely in keeping with the occasion. She wouldn't even THINK about what a pain in the ass shoes would be. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Mich, are you serious? I'm not wearing PINK!" Carl's face wore a disgusted expression as he backed away from the shirt.

'I think you could pull it off, but okay," she declared, placing the shirt back on the rack. "Hmmmmmm, black would be too severe. No yellow. Green, maybe? Or brown! Your dad has this brown shirt I love. I never can keep my eyes off him in that shirt."

Carl made retching noises. "Yuck."

"I know, I know. Old people in love," Michonne sing songed, "How gross."

Carl smirked at her. "Or, 'It's my parents, how gross.'"

She felt her throat tighten a little and she turned to stare at him. Michonne knew Carl had been fine with her relationship with Rick, and had been fine with his father's decision to seek her hand in marriage. Rick had talked to him about it before proposing. She also knew that Carl cared for her quite a bit and she loved the rapport they shared and their closeness. It may have been a little presumptuous to say, but she was pretty sure Carl had an easier time telling her the private details of his life than he did Rick. It made her happy to think he trusted her and felt so at ease with her.

In the ten and a half months that they'd been married, Carl had introduced her a few times as his stepmother. He always called her Mich, which she found endearing. She wouldn't have wanted him to call her Mom. (After all, his own mother was still very much alive, if mostly absent) But he'd never referred to her in all that time as simply just his parent, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. It was unexpectedly sweet to hear those words issue from his mouth.

He shifted uncomfortably under the intensity of her gaze, misreading the cause of it. "Oh, I'm sorry...should I not call you my parent?"

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "Of COURSE you can call me your parent," she murmured, voice suspiciously husky.

His own arms wrapped around her quickly and held her close for a few moments before he pulled away, self-conscious.

She laughed, wiping away a tear that had escaped one eye. "I MUST be your parent. Here I am, humiliating you in public. I'm sorry...it's just...you never called me that before. And it was really good to hear."

He surprised her by giving her another quick hug before pulling back again. He gave her a shy, lopsided smile. "It felt really good to say," he admitted. "And, well...you are."

She sniffed a little bit. "Ugh. Okay, end of embarrassing, parental display." She rubbed at her eyes fiercely and cleared her throat with a loud ahem. "We came here on a mission, and we are going to complete that mission. I do think that you should reconsider the pink shirt, but if you're dead-set against it then I think we should have another look at the brown. I'm telling you, I know women. Enid won't be able to resist you in the brown."

His one visible eye sparkled as he watched her shift back into business mode, the rein of her emotions firmly back in her grasp.

"Okay, Mich. Let me see the brown one again."

 **To Be Continued**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _ *****I don't own TWD, anything associated with it nor do I profit from it in any way.*****_

"So after we finally settled on shirt, pants AND shoes, I tried to talk him into a haircut again, but he is _stubborn,_ that boy. He wasn't havin' it. Clothes shopping takes it out of you, and with a teenager...hah! We both needed to eat, so we grabbed some chili fries and steamed broccoli and then I dropped him at Patrick's to stay the night, with the stipulation that he be home by 11 tomorrow morning so he can finish up that report for science class and cleaning his room." She beamed up at Rick after relaying the last of the day's events. They were nestled together on the couch in the family room, Judith having been put to bed and Shane snoozing on the ottoman. (Shane being asleep was the only way he and Rick could peacefully exist together in the same space)

Rick laughed and kissed 'Chonne's forehead. "Chili fries and steamed broccoli," he repeated. "Your commitment to balanced meals is impressive."

She elbowed him gently and snickered. "Well, it's not _your_ specialty, carrots and a peanut butter sandwich, but it's what I could do, considering the circumstances. Besides, it's the best of both worlds." She snuggled closer to him, enjoying his clean, masculine scent and how _right_ it felt to just be with him. It amazed her how one man could make her feel so comfortable and yet so electrified all at once.

The reverie was broken by the ringing of the phone. Both groaned in protest and Michonne started to get up, only to find herself restrained by her husband. "Don't go," Rick protested, holding her close.

She brought a hand up to his face. "I _have_ to. It might be Mama, or Devries, calling to check on the plans. I'll be back," she promised, giving him a brief kiss and getting up to head towards the kitchen to answer the call.

He sighed and closed his eyes. He loved these quiet moments with her, sometimes difficult to find when raising two children. But...there was still the weight of what he had to tell her. And being alone made it press down on him that much more.

It had been bad before. After the conversation with Carol it got worse. He knew he should've said something the second they were alone, but she'd been so pleased with her day and he had fallen into that warm, happy place that they inhabited together...Carol's words came back to him. "No matter how it plays out...it's not an easy situation." He mentally cursed Lori for putting him in this position...then cursed himself for his own culpability.

Michonne came back, rolling her eyes. "Devries. Can I call it, or what? He was freaking out over the mezzanine placement. Had to talk him down." She flopped back down on the couch next to him, cozying close. "Now...where were we?"

"'Chonne...I need to tell you somethin'. We need to talk," he said haltingly. He hated saying it, and hated even more the change in her body as it tensed up next to his.

She met his eyes, her own questioning. "Okay...you know you're freaking me out a bit, right? What good conversation ever starts this way?"

"This...it won't be a good conversation. I...I got a letter. From Lori." He paused at her sharp intake of breath, but forced himself to continue."In it, she talked about how she's been selfish and how she knows she hasn't been a good mother to the kids."

"No shit," Michonne said angrily. "So what does she want, because I know it's something." She moved away from him on the couch, expression wrathful.

"You're not wrong. She's stayin' with a friend right now...her last relationship went bust. She says she wants to be a mother to them again. She says that if I'll let her...she wants to see the kids on Thanksgiving. She wants to see the kids...and me."

"I'll just bet she does. This letter came just today? She knows Thanksgiving is less than a week away now, right? I'll say this much for her...she gives great notice."

Rick looked away from her. "The letter...it didn't come today."

"What do you mean, 'it didn't come today'?" she asked him, her quiet voice at odds with the ire on her face.

"It...it came a few days ago."

"A few _days_ ago? Then why didn't I hear about this a few days ago?" You could have heard a pin drop in the resulting silence

Finally, Rick spoke. "I know. I know I should have told you. Carol said as much-"

She cut him off. " _Carol_ knows? Carol knows and I didn't?" Her voice was rising steadily and if she didn't get control soon she'd be full-blown shouting.

"I can explain-"

"Oh, I seriously doubt that. In fact, I think we're done talking right now. Right...fucking...now."

"'Chonne, please, let's talk about this. I-"

"It's a little late for that, don't ya think?" Her voice was brittle to mask the hurt she felt. Offense piled on top of offense, and if she didn't leave this room right now, she was going to say something they'd both regret.

"I'm going to bed," she informed him, unable to keep the ice from her voice. He rose to follow her. "Nope, you stay there." There was no room for argument in her tone. "Best you make plans to spend the night down here."

She roused Shane from the ottoman and folded him into her arms. The cat's eyes narrowed and his ears went back as he caught sight of Rick. He rumbled a growl as Michonne took one step towards Rick, her face contorted in a fierce scowl.

"Shane will be sharing the bed with me tonight, in case you get any ideas about joining me later. You could try to risk it...but you may wanna ask yourself something first: With as angry as I am right now, is it me or Shane that's more likely to take out the bigger chunk of your hide?"

She turned on her heel and headed towards the staircase.

Rick listened to her footsteps go up the stairs and heard the decided click of their bedroom door closing. He put his head in his hands, then raised it.

"I knew I should've drowned that damn cat," he said to himself.

 **To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 _ *****I don't benefit from TWD or any of its stuff and thaaangs, please don't sue.*****_

 **Me: Yikes, some of y'all are really salty about Rick. Don't be too hard on the man. He's as fallible as anyone else. Remember, we're looking to end up in a good place. Thanks so much for your kind words and observations! They mean a lot to me, and I love reading them!**

Michonne spat out a soft curse as her feet touched the bedroom carpet. The alarm clock read 4:57am. Sleeping seemed to be a lost cause. So far she'd gotten a couple hours, badly broken.

Her mind wouldn't quit running. It was going a mile a minute, full of fears and frustration. She knew of a few things that would help...but maybe just one solution that made sense right now.

She pulled on leggings and her hooded Spelman sweatshirt. Shane was sprawled out on the bed, still dozing. She was half-tempted to take the feline with her downstairs and throw him at Rick, but the cat looked so peaceful that she didn't have the heart to do it.

She slipped down the stairs and out the front door as quietly as possible. On her way out, she heard shifting around from the family room, a sure sign Rick wasn't sleeping well. _Good,_ she thought spitefully. _Why should he get any rest? That fool._

Once outside on the sidewalk, she broke into a jog. Five mornings a week this was her routine. (though not usually this early) It felt good to move, feet eating up the pavement. As she picked up a little more speed, she noticed a slight lifting of her mood.

 _Why didn't he tell me right away? Why? Did he think I couldn't handle it? Why did he have to go to Carol first? How can he be thinking about letting Lori back into the kids' lives...into_ our _lives?_

And then there was the thought that beat against her brain worse than any of the others: _Does he_ want _to see her_?

She moved faster, as if trying to outrun her own mind. _I need to talk_ , she realized. _Gotta get these things out of my head. I need to talk...but not to him. At least, not yet._

Her feet had a set course now. She knew where she was going. It was early, but it was a pretty safe bet one of them would be up.

She knocked gently on the door, permitting herself a little smile as she heard footsteps approach. The door opened only a crack at first, a wary hazel eye peering out at the doorstep.

"Michonne?" came the incredulous voice of Maggie Rhee. The door opened wide. "What on Earth are you doin' here so early?" Maggie still wore pajamas but appeared way more alert than anyone should have a right to be at five-thirty in the morning. A side effect of growing up on a farm, she would joke whenever Michonne would express utter disbelief that anyone could be so awake at such an ungodly hour.

"C'mon in!" Maggie invited, stepping aside and motioning Michonne inside her home. The warmth and concern in her expression went straight to Michonne's heart, causing a tear to slip unheeded down her cheek.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" Maggie's arms immediately pulled Michonne to her, solid and comforting. Michonne returned the hug, sniffling a bit. "Let's get you some coffee, and then you can start by tellin' me what's got you so sad."

"But Glenn, the kids-" Michonne worried.

"Still asleep. I'm the only one crazy enough to be up this early. We've got privacy for at least another couple hours."

"Okay," Michonne exhaled, relieved.

After settling herself on a barstool and with a steaming cup of coffee sitting before her on the raised kitchen counter, she finally felt steady enough to begin pouring out last night's events while Maggie listened intently, not interrupting.

She heaved a big sigh once it was all out, a little sheepish at relaying the threat she'd made to Rick. To try and cover her embarrassment, she sipped her coffee.

Maggie shook her head. "Lord...I'd be pissed, too. I can see why you're mad. But...try to look at it from his point of view."

Michonne bristled a bit. "What do you mean?"

"Glenn and I met Rick when he and Lori were on the rocks. Thing is, I think Rick was trying not to see it, how unhappy she was. They just weren't ever a good fit."

Michonne nodded. Rick had said similar things when speaking of the dissolution of his marriage.

Maggie continued. "But they had the kids, and Judith was so young. Also…" Maggie hesitated, unable to meet Michonne's eyes for a moment, "He loved her. She was the only woman, up to that point, he had ever loved...and he didn't want to let her go. I think he felt like it was his fault, that Lori was so unhappy...and now he had to do whatever he could to keep her."

Michonne closed her eyes for a moment. This was difficult to hear...but if Maggie was saying these things it was because she really thought Michonne needed to know them.

"Michonne?" Maggie covered Michonne's hand with her own and squeezed it. "Should I stop?"

Michonne gave Maggie a quick, reassuring smile. "No...no. Please continue."

Maggie squeezed her hand again before withdrawing her own. "When Lori left, she went wild. The first guy she got involved with was only twenty-one, some yoga instructor named Gareth. I saw them together a few times. All I remember is her tellin' me he was a hardcore vegetarian and that he had this annoyin' smirk he wore all the time. Then there was this horrible guy named Negan who was _already_ married and whose wife was dyin' of cancer. Oh yeah, she picked some real winners "

Maggie paused a moment to refill her cup of coffee as well as Michonne's. "I didn't tell Rick any of this. Neither did Glenn. But there was always some supposedly well-meaning mutual acquaintance that was puttin' a bug in his ear...The shame of that, combined with the hurt and trying to care for two kids on his own, one of whom was just a baby...He didn't say much about it. But it must've been so hard. He must've been so hurt "

Michonne's sympathies were fully engaged, though her anger still struggled to keep the upper hand. What Maggie was saying was true. But it was just as true that Rick should have been honest with her.

"I know you're mad at Rick. And don't think for one second that I don't think you have a right to be," Maggie's soft drawl exerted a soothing effect. "But whether you like it or not, Rick does have his own side in this. I can't tell you exactly what it is, or what his reasoning was. You'll have to listen to the man to know. But I can tell you this much: Rick loves you. He loved Lori once upon a time...but not like he loves you. He was so scared, when he was getting ready to propose. He came to Glenn and I, wanting to know what we thought. He said that he wouldn't know what to do if you do said no, because he'd grown to need you and love you so much that he couldn't see a life that you weren't gonna be a part of. He was afraid that maybe you didn't love him as much as he loved you...that it wasn't possible."

Michonne's throat tightened painfully. She fought against the wave of love she felt for Rick, listening to Maggie's recollection. If only he'd known that she was the world's biggest fool for him. that she couldn't have said no to him if she'd tried. It wasn't possible. Her heart belonged entirely to him.

But of course, now that was the problem. He'd made her feel like the world's biggest fool. And she didn't know why he'd done it, which scared her. And being scared always made her furious.

"Michonne." Maggie's voice startled her out of her introspection. "You need to ask him why. You need to ask him before you get any angrier. Listen to what he has to say. Whatever it is...I know it's not what you're afraid of. I know it." She sounded so sure.

She put her hand over Michonne's again and applied gentle pressure. "Let me take you home. I can watch Judith for a little bit while you two talk. Try not to throw Shane at him. Listen to him."

She pulled her hand back and cleared away her empty coffee cup, then Michonne's. She gazed directly at Michonne.

"Come on, let's go. Remember, just listen. And if you don't like his answer... _then_ you can kick his ass."

 **To Be Continued**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _ *****I don't own TWD or its associated thangs. I don't profit from it in any way. All the disclaimer stuff.*****_

 **Me: Dun-dun-duuuuuuuun. It's time to find out where Rick's coming from. Love it or hate it, (and I'm guessing there will be both) here it is.**

They sat across the table from each other. Rick's face kept shifting between fear and sorrow and something else that it was difficult to read. Michonne knew her own face to be calm. Maggie had been right. Better to have it out in the open and deal with whatever it was going to be. Living with the fear, with not knowing...that was the worst thing.

Maggie had departed with Judith in tow and arrangements to pick up Carl from Patrick's so that they could have the time and space to talk, but not before delivering a hard smack upside Rick's head (out of eyeshot and earshot of Judith, of course) and the accurate (if somewhat mean) pronouncement of, "Dumbass."

Rick bore it without complaint, as if it was his due. Now, his face was downcast. He reached into his pocket slowly and produced two crumpled pieces of lined paper, covered in blue ink. There was a tear at the top of the pages, about one inch long. He placed them on the table before Michonne.

"It's her letter," he said, somewhat unnecessarily. "This is what I should have done in the first place. Please...please read it and then I'll tell you what I should've, to begin with."

"Don't know that _you're_ in any position to be asking anything of _me."_ Michonne's glare would've eviscerated him, if looks could kill.

"I'm not," he shook his head. "But please, 'Chonne, I'm asking because I need you to know why it happened. I-I need you to understand."

She studied him for a few moments, softening a little at how contrite he looked. She picked up the letter. It was certainly the worse for wear. "Did it show up looking like this?" she raised an eyebrow at Rick.

"No," he muttered. "I'll tell you...after."

She began to read.

 _Dear Rick_

 _I know that this letter is long overdue, painfully overdue. I know that I have not been a mother to our children, and seven years ago I left you and them with the words that I needed to find myself. I know that I ran straight to another man, and I know that after I left, you heard about that, as well as hearing that I had been unfaithful to you while we were still married._

 _I didn't want to be married to you anymore. I didn't want to be a mother. I felt trapped in every way possible. I cared about you...but had not been in love with you for some time. I loved the kids...but felt tied down with having to care for them. Judith wasn't planned, and I knew how badly you wanted her...and how much I didn't._

 _I just wanted out._

 _In some ways...it felt like I hated you for what I was...A wife who didn't want to be a wife. A mother who didn't want to be a mother. You probably thought the worst of me, and you were right to do it. I didn't just take up with men. I drank, I used a little. I went wild, doing all the things I'd never let myself do before._

 _It got old, faster than I expected it to...but for a while I didn't know how to stop._

 _I miss Carl. I don't know her very well...but I miss Judith, too._

 _I know that I don't have a right to ask you for anything. I know that I don't have I right to expect anything. I know that you might tell me no. But I want to see my children. I want to see you. I'd like to come on Thanksgiving, if I can. Shelli will be visiting her family. She's the friend I've been staying with since I split from Axel. She's been letting me sleep on her couch while I look for a new job._

 _I've started taking a few classes at the city college. I might make something of myself yet._

 _I heard that you got married to the woman you were seeing last time I took the kids out. I'm happy for you, though you might not believe it. I hear that she's wonderful and that you love her very much. I know that she will need to be okay with me visiting as well._

 _Please, Rick. Please let me be a part of my children's lives again. I don't have the right to ask it, and I know that you'd have the right to refuse me. You may not believe that I mean it. You may think that I'll be bad for the kids to be around. You may think that I'm saying this because I'm all alone, now._

 _It's true. I am all alone. Mama and Daddy are gone. So is Aunt Jeannie. Nancy's out on the West Coast in Los Angeles and she's barely making ends meet. The men I've been seeing help things for a little bit...until they don't. And though it's taken me some time to figure it out, I realize that I miss our kids. I have for a long time._

 _I'd like to see them on Thanksgiving...and I'd like to apologize to you. I said horrible things to you when I left. I said horrible things when I tried to come back to you after the first year and you told me to go-well, you know what you said. And I think that it was deserved, though I didn't see it that way at the time._

 _I would like to start seeing the kids regularly, if you'd let me. Maybe once every week, to start for a few hours? It's asking a lot, and there's no reason why you should. But I do love them. I know it's hard to believe...and I think there are times where I've almost forgotten...but it's true._

 _I can be reached at the phone number written below. It's Shelli's home line, and there's a message machine if we don't answer. I don't have a phone right now. The return address on the letter is Shelli's address._

 _Please call. Please say okay. I don't deserve it...but I'm asking anyway. Please._

 _Lori_

The words on the last sentences of the letter and Lori's signature were blurred, as if liquid had dropped onto the paper while the ink was still drying.

Michonne put the letter down, smoothing it out a bit. "Why didn't you want me to see this?" she asked quietly.

Rick avoided her stare but his words were direct and steady. "Because I was going to tell her no. And I was going to throw the letter away. I wasn't going to tell you, or the kids."

"Why?"

"The first reaction I had when I saw that letter, when I started to read it...what I felt was anger. I was mad. I didn't even finish it. I crumpled up the letter, was going to rip it in half and throw it away, before I came to my senses. We've had this great life, you and I and the kids..it's been so wonderful. More than I had dreamed, more than I thought possible. Now Lori wants to try being a mom again, but it's messy. Even if she means it. It complicates things. And I thought, what right does she have? I don't want it. The risk of her hurting the kids...the risk of it upsetting you. I just don't want it. She left, she's been gone. It's easier...if it stays that way."

Michonne was silent for a moment, considering his words. "Then why go to Carol? And for the record...I'm pretty upset. If I were any _more_ upset you'd be missing some teeth."

"Because...I felt guilty about making that decision, and even though it's what I want to do...I'm not sure it's right. I don't know that _I_ have the right to decide. I don't know that Lori never being a part of the picture again makes much difference to Judith, but what if it does? And Carl. He doesn't say much about Lori anymore, but I'm pretty sure-" He quit speaking abruptly, expression suddenly afraid.

"We've gotten this far. Just say it."

His words now came more reluctantly. "I'm pretty sure he still loves her. Even with everything. He still thinks of her as his mother. She-she wasn't always terrible. She was good to Carl, in the beginning."

Michonne closed her eyes for a moment, fighting the hot surge of jealousy and resentment that she felt at Rick's words. It was difficult...but she pushed it down. Those feelings would be for later. Right now there was still more Rick had to say. _Just listen. "_ Go on."

"Carol went through a lot of shit with Ed. He was pretty abusive. His abuse was different than Lori's, but Carol...she's kind of like I am. She carries scars, but she survived to make a better life. She was finding her strength before Ed got hit by that bus. Even if he'd lived...I think she would've left him anyway. And I figured that she would tell me that telling Lori to forget it would be the best thing."

"Is that what she said?"

"She said to tell her to go to hell, in exactly those words. But she also asked what you thought. She said that telling Lori to go to hell was her opinion...but that her advice was that I needed to tell you. I needed to be honest with you about what I was thinking and why I was thinking it. And after she said that, I knew I'd been fooling myself, thinking I could make the decision all on my own. She didn't end up giving me the advice I wanted or what I was looking for...but she gave me the advice I needed."

"Right when I got home, right when we put Judith to bed...why didn't you say something right then?"

His face was sad, so sad. "Because you were so happy. And I knew as soon as I told you...you wouldn't be."

His words hit her hard. She couldn't hold back anymore. A sob escaped her. He stood up immediately and started to move towards her.

"No!" The word came out strong, even through her tears. "Not right now. No."

He recoiled, visibly hurt. His own eyes shone with tears not yet shed. "Please, 'Chonne. Please. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I've put us here. I can't stand seeing you so hurt. Please. Please let me hold you."

She wanted him to, badly. She wanted to be comforted and she wanted to comfort him, but she couldn't let herself. Not yet. Because he was right. He _had_ put them there. If he'd been honest from the start, it would've still been bad...but not this bad.

 _He should've thrown the fucking letter away_ , she thought furiously. _Then-_ But she pushed that thought away, with concentrated force. It would've been another lie. A kinder one, perhaps, but a lie just the same. And sins of omission were what had brought them here.

How would the kids feel if they were to discover down the line that their mother had tried to reach out to them and that they'd tried to hide it? Probably the same way she felt.

"We need to figure this out," she whispered. "What do you want to do, Rick?"

A tear slipped down his cheek. "I want to tell her no. But...I think we need to let the kids decide. If it's up to me, it's no. But it can't be just up to me. What do you think?"

She searched her feelings and was relieved to realize they were in fact the same. She wanted to say no, wanted it powerfully. But it wasn't his decision or her decision. Lori wasn't Rick's wife anymore, and maybe she wasn't the kids' mother either...but that was something they would need to decide. Neither she nor Rick had that right.

"We need to tell them. Let's call Maggie, pick them up," Michonne finally replied.

Rick nodded. He began to move towards the kitchen to use the phone there, but her next words halted him in his tracks.

"In the letter, when Lori said she tried to come back and you told her no...what exactly did you say?"

He was caught off-guard, and she was surprised to see that he looked faintly embarrassed. "I, uh, may have said…" He trailed off, a bit red-faced.

"Yes?"

"Um, that I wouldn't touch her with someone else's dick. And, ah...that she should go...that she should go fuck herself."

A smile spread across her face before she could stop it. It was petty as all hell...but it somehow made her feel just a little bit better.

 **To Be Continued**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 *****Usual disclaimers. TWD does not belong to me, I don't profit from it, yadda yadda yadda.*****

 **Me: Hoo-boy. Your embarrassed author has found a slight continuity error in chapter 7 that has been edited. (Geez...I need a beta, my editing skills aren't as good as I'd Iike them to be) My deepest apologies. Okay. Let's get back to it, huh?**

Michonne and Rick sat together on the couch with Carl and Judith settled on the ottoman and floor. Having mutually agreed upon it before picking up the kids, they'd shown Carl the letter. (Judith's literacy skills and the content didn't make it suitable for her to read just yet) He'd read it and handed it back to Rick.

"It sounds like she's trying to do better, doesn't it, Dad?" The hope in Carl's voice made Rick's heart ache for his son...and Michonne. He knew this conversation wasn't going to be easy for her...but she would say and do what was best for Carl. He'd never known anyone so strong yet so kind at the same time...even despite her temper.

Not that his own was much better. He was currently damning Lori to twenty kinds of hell in his head.

Rick struggled to keep his voice as neutral as possible when he answered. "It does sound that way, yes."

"And her going to school...that's good too, right?" Carl asked hesitantly.

Rick took a deep breath before replying. "I think so, yes."

He felt Michonne shift a little on the couch beside him and place a calming hand on his knee, which made his temper recede almost instantly. She was amazing, his wife. His eyes turned to meet hers, telegraphing a message of gratitude and love. Her own responded with love and support, which gave him the resolve he needed to speak his next words.

"Carl...if you want to see her, you should. We love you, and we want you to do what you feel is the best thing. If you want to see your mother on Thanksgiving, we can make arrangements for that, too. What happened between your mother and me...it's in the past. And it's nothin' you need to worry about."

The boy sighed. "I-I _think_ I want to see her, but…" His eyes gleamed brightly. "I don't know if I'm ready yet. Is that okay? Dad? Mich?"

Michonne responded immediately. "Of _course_ it's okay. You can think about it if you need to. It doesn't have to be decided right now. And whatever you choose...whether it's to see your mother or not see her...we're here for you."

"Judith?" Rick asked, "Do you want to see your mom?"

Judith's brow furrowed. "Only if Carl does," she said decidedly, looking up at her big brother for guidance.

"Dad, can we call her? Can I tell her that we're thinking about it? You said this came a few days ago...she's probably waiting to hear. Can Jude and I say hi to her and explain?"

"Of course you can," Rick said firmly. "But I'd like you to hand me the phone when you're done if she's there. We should talk a bit, your mom and I." He handed Carl the letter. "Here's the number."

Carl nodded. "Come on, Jude. Let's go call Mom." They departed to the kitchen to use the phone.

Once they were safely out of the room, Rick turned to Michonne. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head but wouldn't meet his eyes. "I'm alright."

"'Chonne, look at me."

"I'm okay," she insisted, still avoiding his gaze. But he heard the tremor in her voice and knew that she was busy trying to make herself actually _be_ alright.

Without another word, he pulled her into his arms. She resisted for all of a split second before wrapping her arms around him. "I know I shouldn't be feeling this way," she whispered into his ear, trembling. "Lori's his mother. He has a right to see her. To talk to her. I know that. I do."

Rick's arms tightened around her, kissing the top of her head as his hands caressed her back. "You're his mother, too," he whispered soothingly. "And for the record...you're the one who counts. You've never left him. You put his needs first. He knows that, darlin'. He does, I promise you."

She wept softly, allowing vent to her feelings in the safety of his arms. She hated how small and selfish her jealousy made her feel, but it was there, no denying it. You could know logically that human beings all had great capacity to love, and know that all humans would more than likely love more than a few people throughout the course of their lives...but feeling your love threatened in any way was hard to take.

She loved Carl as her own flesh and blood, and with Rick's warm arms surrounding her, comforting her...she could be honest enough with herself to admit that she was scared that Lori's claim might infringe on her own. However irrational it was, she feared the lessening of Carl's love for her. She buried her face in Rick's chest, breathing in his scent as she fought to quiet her tears. It wouldn't do to have the kids come back to her crying. Things were tough enough already.

His big hands kept stroking her back, working to smooth away the tension. "It'll be okay, darlin'. I promise." Rick repeated his quiet, steady litany over and over, willing her to believe it, until her tears stopped and she raised her face to look at him.

She brought a hand up to his face and caressed his cheek with her thumb. "I may need you to tell me that more, in the days ahead," she murmured a little sheepishly, ashamed of her outburst.

"I'll tell you as often as you need to hear it," he replied, giving her a deep kiss and then pulling her closer to him, nestling her head against his shoulder. "I promise."

 **To Be Continued**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 _ *****I don't own TWD or any of its characters, basics, details, etc. If I did, Negan would already be gone.*****_

 **Me: Okay, let's get back to the fun stuff.**

"Don't you _dare_ put your finger in that bowl, Rick!" Michonne scolded gently, shooing him away from her chocolate silk pie mixture. This year she had decided to forego tradition and would NOT be serving pumpkin or mince (which she personally found disgusting) but instead would be making the chocolate silk she was currently working on, as well as her mama's sweet potato pie, which was so good that the family never observed any major holiday without it.

It was the day before Thanksgiving, and Michonne was busy preparing the pies so that they'd have one less thing to worry about tomorrow. Rick was ostensibly supposed to be cooking as well, but since he was making the turkey, the only thing _he'd_ had to do tonight was pull out the bird, which was currently defrosting in the sink. (Shane had been exiled to the garage with his litter box, some catnip and the cat door blocked, lest he get any ideas, and his plaintive yowls at that unfortunate turn of events had finally subsided after the first fifteen minutes)

Michonne was happy to be focusing on the preparations for tomorrow and was delighted by the idea of friends and family together under one roof. Some of them hadn't met each other before...but she had faith that it would all work out. Langston got along with practically everybody and she'd yet to find anyone who didn't end up loving her mama...or her cooking.

It also helped to know they wouldn't have to worry about Lori showing up tomorrow. She and Carl had had a long conversation over the phone, with Carl telling her he wasn't ready to see her just yet. After that had taken place, Lori and Rick had managed a civil discussion in which necessary information was exchanged and promises made for a phone call to take place on Thanksgiving between she and the children...but no visit until the kids were ready.

Rick came up behind Michonne, pushing her hair to the side and began planting a series of light kisses on the back of her neck, which made her shiver. "You can see I'm trying to cook here, can't you?" she protested breathlessly, unable to focus on the next steps of the recipe. Lord, the man was a distraction. A _sexy_ distraction. She turned her head to glare at him but ended up laughing instead as he tickled her sides.

"You can take a little break, can't you?" he whispered seductively in her ear, turning his attentions to its delicate lobe.

"Rick…" she gasped, the rest of whatever she'd been going to say lost in the haze of pleasurable sensations overtaking her. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her against him so that she could feel his arousal. She felt herself surrendering to his ministrations and was about to let herself be completely pulled away from her culinary endeavors in the pursuit of carnal ones when the phone rang.

"Are you _kidding_ me with this shit?" Rick growled, reluctantly backing away from his wife as she jumped in surprise. "If it's not that damn phone, it's the doorbell. If it's not the doorbell, it's the kids. If it's not the kids, it's some weird, bearded guy callin' himself Jesus."

Michonne giggled as she went to answer the phone. "He was only doing his job! We _were_ in the dressing room of a Banana Republic, after all. And remember, he said that's just what his friends call him," she finished, picking up the phone.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rick grumbled, furtively sneaking a finger of the chocolate pie filling while Michonne's back was turned. If he couldn't have the chocolate he wanted, second best would have to do.

"Hi Andrea!" Michonne chirped into the phone, surprised to hear from her friend. Rick listened to Michonne's half of the conversation while collecting the ingredients he would need to season the turkey tomorrow.

"Oh, Phillip's reservations at Woodbury's fell through? Would you like to come to our place? Of _course_ it's no trouble! Sure, you can bring him, and his daughter as well. A bad case of conjunctivitis? He'll be wearing an eye patch? We'll try not to stare. Hmmmmm, well I think we've got most of the dishes covered. You know Rick and I are taking care of the turkey and dessert. Carol's doing biscuits, Maggie and Glenn are bringing the stuffing. Langston has this amazing salad he makes with spinach, arugula and walnuts. Mama promised us her famous green bean casserole and Daryl...well, he'll probably show up with squirrel or something. Oh, I know! You could bring us some cranberry sauce. We don't have any, and it won't require you to cook! Girl, you _know_ you can't cook! Remember the last potluck? We ended up using those brownies as doorstops! Hey, we can always use some champagne or sparkling cider. Okay. Okay. Please! We _always_ love to see you. Yes, I'll be nice to the man. No, I won't poke at him, I promise. Yes, around noon is fine. Love you, too. See you tomorrow!"

"So let me guess," Rick smiled at her. "We're getting Andrea, the new guy and his daughter?"

She nodded. "Yup. Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without some last minute additions."

"Are you _really_ gonna be nice to that man?" Rick smirked at his wife, imagining her vexation at having to be friendly to her nemesis in front of all their guests.

"Sure," she purred, as she wrapped her arms around him. "But I was thinking I'd be nice to _this_ man first." She applied her lips to the base of his throat, eliciting a groan from him.

He placed his hands under her backside and lifted her up onto the kitchen's island, bringing his hands up to caress her face and kissed her hungrily. "Now, where were we…" he murmured, as he pulled away to unbutton her shirt.

The phone rang again, causing them both to curse, this time. Rick's hands kept her hips pinned where they were, but she extricated herself from their grip and hopped down, placing a quick peck on his cheek before heading to the phone again.

"I'm sorry, handsome, but it's the night before Thanksgiving. We can't let this phone go unanswered." Michonne picked up the receiver. "Oh, hi Carol! You'd like to drop off the biscuits now? Oh, it's no bother. No, we weren't doing anything. Sure! We'll see you in a bit. Bye!"

She turned to observe her husband with his head hung low and forearms braced against the island counter. He raised his eyes to meet hers, a woebegone expression on his face.

"We just can't catch a break," he told her mournfully. "That's it, dammit. We are NOT hosting next year!"

 **To Be Continued**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 _ *****I don't own TWD or anything to do with TWD. If I did, Richonne would've happened sooner. Like, a LOT sooner.*****_

 **Me: Moving the rating to M for language and adult situations, just to be on the safe side. This chapter's a little short, but expect the next one to be long. We've got two more chapters to go after this one.**

"Rick, you're putting the turkey in, right? I made sure Shane's fed and still in the garage!"

"Jude, come pick up these dolls so our guests can sit down, please!"

"Mich, can you help me with my hair? I'm gonna try what you said and pull it back."

"Carl, stop throwing around Lizzie! You're gonna break her and Daddy just bought her for me!"

The household was in a state of frenzied activity, working to make sure everything was decent before their guests arrived. The pies were done. Rick had managed to put together his maple-bacon, sage-butter turkey and it was now roasting comfortably in one of the ovens, the good smells permeating the kitchen. Jude was attired in a new purple velvet dress picked up just for the occasion during Michonne and Carl's weekend excursion and Carl was looking dapper and every bit as handsome as his father in the moss-green raw silk shirt, khaki dress pants and brown suede loafers they'd ended up deciding on.

Michonne had convinced him to pull back his mop and grinned at him as she took in what his face looked like unobstructed by hair.

"Who knew you had two eyes?" she teased him as she tucked an errant lock that had fallen to the side back behind his ear. "You are some kind of gorgeous, champ."

Carl blushed and stared down at the ground. "Yeah, right," he muttered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Maybe I should put my hair back down…"

"Don't you trust me?" Michonne asked him softly, something in the tone of her voice causing his eyes to meet hers and his brow to knit slightly.

"I do," he answered simply, and she felt something loosen in her chest.

"Okay, now _I_ need to get ready. Can you help Juju make sure all her toys are cleared out of the living room? And _don't_ toss that doll around...even if she is creepy-looking!" she admonished, heading towards the bedroom.

Luckily she'd showered earlier that morning. (without Rick, much to his complaint) The only thing left to do was dress. Though it was hardly traditional, she felt a thrill at pulling on the red cheongsam dress with the short sleeves and long skirt. The dress had a tasteful slit on both sides that stopped just short of her knees and black embroidery on the bodice depicting dragons. She fixed her braids up in a slightly messy bun to highlight the high neck of the dress. She couldn't resist preening a little as she checked herself out in the full-length mirror but jumped as she heard a low whistle come from the direction of the just-opened bathroom door.

"Well, look at you," Rick drawled, leaning against the doorframe, drinking in his fill appreciatively with hooded eyes.

She turned to regard him, her attention caught by how damn good-looking the man always seemed to be, especially with his curls still somewhat damp from the shower. He'd shaved, leaving his chiseled face bare for the viewing, and was dressed in the button-down brown shirt she loved so much and jeans that defined his lanky, bowed legs. His two concessions to formality appeared to be the leather belt that girded his narrow waist and the dull gold gleam of the Bulova watch she'd given him last Christmas on his wrist.

The man might not do super fancy, but she had no complaints about it. The raw material was compelling enough without a whole lot of embellishment.

"What are you thinking?" he queried softly, taking in the intensity of her gaze.

She sighed and smiled a little, shaking her head. "That you're more good-looking than anyone should have a right to be," she chuckled. "And that you don't really need much of anything to get my full attention."

The warmth in his answering grin electrified her. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Though I like the dress quite a bit." His scrutiny zeroed in on the way it hugged her lissome form. The red was also a spectacular choice, complementing the luminescence of her skin. She was beautiful to him in all her aspects...though perhaps one a little more so than all the rest.

He approached her like a wolf stalking prey. She knew the intent behind that look and laughed. "Don't even think about it, now is _not_ the time," she warned.

He spared a glance at his watch. "Oh, I don't know about that," he said, voice husky. "Seems to me like we may have just enough time for a _little_ somethin'."

He pulled her into his arms, his mouth hot and demanding against her own. He teased her lips open with his tongue, experiencing a thrill of gratification at how quickly hers became entangled with his, despite her earlier protest. He tasted her, a man starving. His hands gripped her round ass possessively.

Michonne's hands massaged his chest. She broke their kiss only to bring her lips down to his neck. Her hands unbuttoned his shirt deftly and her fingers stole underneath to play with his nipples as she sucked gently at the base of his throat, the tip of her tongue damply agitating the tender flesh there.

The double stimulus made him growl low and his hands began to shove the skirt of her dress to her waist as he prepared to drop down on his knees before her.

The doorbell rang, freezing them both in their tracks.

"Not _again_ ," Rick groaned, hands unwilling to relinquish their pursuit. He buried his head in the hollow of her throat.

She rubbed his shoulders and planted a consoling kiss on the side of his head. "I _told_ you," she said ruefully.

 **To Be Continued**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 _ *****I don't own TWD or any of its associated thangs. I just have fun fitting the pieces together in (hopefully) creative ways.*****_

 **Me: A little nervous about this one, our cast of characters is about to grow by quite a bit! Really hope y'all like it.**

"Hail and well met, gentle folk! It is an honor to be amongst such good company on this day of days," Ezekiel greeted them, holding a tupperware container in one hand and a cat carrier in the other.

Carol embraced first Michonne, then Rick. "Hi, guys. Thanks for letting us bring Zeke's kitten. He just got her and doesn't want to leave her alone for too long." Sophia gave them both hugs as well, then bounded off to find Carl and Enid.

"No problem, " Michonne replied. "Shane's locked up in the garage, and we have another litter box, so it shouldn't be an issue. Juju will be happy, since she'll have another kitty to play with."

Ezekiel handed the tupperware to Carol, set down the cat carrier and opened it. A faint mewing could be heard. Kneeling down before the container, he crooked a hand and beckoned. "Come forth, little one. We await you."

A pointed, furry little face with big whiskers poked out of the carrier. Zeke reached his hand in and scooped up the tiny, tiger - striped kitten, planting a kiss atop its head. "We are amongst friends, sweet Shiva. Be not troubled."

"Ah, yeah. Come this way, we're all in the family room or kitchen, depending on what your preference is," Rick advised, working to keep a straight face.

Ezekiel and Carol followed Rick and Michonne into the family room where Maggie, Glenn, Andrea and Phillip were all sitting. Michonne's mother Odette, Michonne's brother Langston and Daryl were all in the kitchen drinking beer and discussing football.

"Hey y'all!" Maggie beamed. She and Glenn embraced Carol and exclaimed over Ezekiel's kitten. Andrea gave Carol a kiss on the cheek and asked if she could hold the kitten for a bit, to which Ezekiel obligingly passed her over, with the admonition to, "Take care, fair maiden. Shiva may be little, yet she is fierce."

"That's Shakespeare, isn't it?" Phillip drawled, his one visible eye twinkling at Ezekiel.

"I take it you are also devoted to the glorious Bard, my fine fellow?" Ezekiel replied.

"The Bard and I aren't much acquainted, but I did play Iago in my college drama club production of _Othello."_

Michonne's mutter of, "That figures," was mostly covered up by Ezekiel's pronouncement of, "That black-hearted knave! I trust you are not cut from the same villainous cloth." However, Rick, who was cuddled next to her on the loveseat, did catch it and elbowed her softly as a warning.

Andrea, who had passed Shiva over to Glenn and Maggie, placed her head against Phillip's shoulder. "He's a great guy, I can vouch for that."

Carol asked about Phillip's eye patch, which masked Michonne's snort of disbelief. Rick whispered low, "Watch it," while Phillip explained that his pink eye was an allergic reaction that sometimes occurred with exposure to certain types of tree dander and pollens.

"Guess that extended hike earlier this week wasn't the best of ideas," Phillip observed, shaking his head a bit.

This led to a discussion about Georgia's mountains and forests, along with the farm Maggie had grown up on. Ezekiel and Phillip in particular had questions as they hadn't heard most of those anecdotes of farm life.

Michonne now had Shiva, and asked if she could take the kitten in to Judith, Jared and her nephew John, who were playing in Judith's room.

"Yes, you may do so. Only for the sake of my little one, please caution the children to take care with her, as she is as yet somewhat high strung. I am sure they are well-mannered, but please take pains to ensure they comprehend that my sweet Shiva must not be exposed to rough handling."

Michonne resisted an eye roll as she assured Ezekiel that she would tell the kids to be careful, then took the kitten to Judith's room upstairs.

/

Carl, Enid, Michonne's nephew Octavian and Sophia had all decided to play ping pong on the table set up in the garage. The first game was a set of mixed doubles, with Enid and Octavian beating Carl and Sophia soundly.

Octavian, a bright and gregarious boy of thirteen with his father's charm, offered to instruct Sophia in the finer points of the game before they played another match, as it was quite apparent that Carl and Sophia had lost due to her timid approach to the game.

While Octavian went over the best ways to serve, Carl and Enid sat down on the overstuffed couch from Michonne's old apartment that had taken up residence in the garage.

At first Enid watched Sophia and Octavian with a small smile on her face. Carl snuck looks at her, feeling his stomach churn at being so close to the object of his affections. She was fresh and pretty in a dark orange slip dress that was in keeping with the season and holiday, and her long hair fell in a braid down her back.

"I'm glad your dad has this ping pong table...it's so much fun!" Enid confided, leaning towards Carl as she continued to watch Octavian's lesson.

"Really?" Carl asked before he could stop himself. "You wouldn't rather we had a pool table instead?"

The look she gave him was quizzical. "No," she stated firmly. "I like ping pong better. It's a lot more fun." Her head snapped back towards the table as she watched Sophia execute a great backhand serve. She and Octavian cheered, causing Sophia to blush with pleasure.

"You've been playing a lot of pool lately," Carl noted, trying to keep his voice even.

"Yeah. Ron's been inviting me over a lot," Enid explained, searching Carl's face as she spoke. "It seems like it'd be mean to say no."

Octavian and Sophia went to grab something to drink, both needing to rehydrate. They headed towards the kitchen, promising to return in a few minutes.

"That's kinda weird, since you keep telling me no when I ask you to come over here," Carl said, hearing the sullen tone in his voice and hating it, but somehow unable to hide all of his anger. After all, it was true.

A line appeared between Enid's brows. "I thought you'd understand."

"Sorry, I guess I don't."

She glared at him. "It wasn't all that long ago _I_ was new, remember? Do you remember how scared I was all the time? How I thought nobody would like me or hang out with me?"

Carl nodded, reluctantly.

"And a lot of people _wouldn't_ talk to me, at first. They weren't that nice to me. Most of them didn't _start_ being nice to me until they knew that I was friends with you and Sophia. I was glad to have you guys...but it was still hard," she recalled, a shadow crossing her face.

"Don't you see?" she continued, "It's like that for Ron right now. He's the new kid. Lots of people don't talk to him or hang out with him...Including you," she said pointedly. Carl flushed with embarrassment. "I'm trying to make it easier on him...He's got it rough."

"Yeah, I'm sure it's rough, having a whole bunch of girls think you're cute," Carl muttered.

Enid gave him a not-so-soft punch in the upper arm. "Don't be stupid! None of those girls _talk_ to him except me! And you don't know what it's like for him at home! His dad's a surgeon who wants him to be the same thing and he's always getting on him about his grades! His brother is this spoiled little sneak who's scared of almost everything...and his _mom_! She cuts his hair so bad he has to wear that beanie to cover it up and she keeps going on about this dumb owl statue she always wants Ron to help her with, even though he's not interested. He needs somebody who gets him, he needs someone who can help him out...He needs a friend. _Just_ a friend. And the Carl that _I_ know...would be a good friend for him to have."

He put a hand briefly to where she'd punched him and hung his head. He didn't speak for a while. "I'm sorry," he said hesitantly. "I'll try...to be his friend."

He was shocked, then thrilled when she threw her arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze. "Thank you," she whispered. After half a minute, she pulled away, her cheeks red. Her eyes met his.

"I-I like that shirt you're wearing," she murmured, placing her hand on his arm where she'd punched him. She caressed the material of his sleeve with her forefinger, then pulled her hand back.

He gave her a brilliant smile as Octavian and Sophia came back into the room.

"So how about Sophia and I beat you guys next?" Octavian offered, a grin on his face. He and Sophia high-fived.

Enid stood up and turned back towards Carl. "C'mon, Carl...Let's win this."

He stood up, smile still on his face. "Let's do it."

/

"I've pulled the turkey out of the oven," Rick told them, coming back out to the patio. "It just has to cool for about ten minutes or so before I add the finishin' touches."

Everybody, minus the kids, was out in their backyard helping get the folding tables and chairs set up and various other necessities for dining outdoors. It was a warm day, not too hot, not too cold. Everyone inside would be a tight fit...but here outside with the long tables it would work out perfectly.

"Sweetheart, do you think this looks okay?" Odette asked her daughter. She had folded the napkins into a cornucopia shape

Michonne laughed and kissed her mother's cheek. "They look great, Mama...but you didn't have to go to the trouble!"

"Don't be foolish, this is a holiday. Gotta pull out all the stops."

"Rick, I think we need a couple more chairs," Glenn called. He and Carol had been setting up the folding chairs around the tables.

"Should be a few more over on the side of the house," Rick advised.

"No, Daryl," Andrea huffed, exasperated. "Forks on the _left_ , like this, see?"

"Rick, is the placement of the torches satisfactory? Will it provide enough illumination for us to feast by?" queried Ezekiel. He and Maggie had been setting them up with strategic placement.

"Lookin' good, Ezekiel," Rick approved.

Phillip and Langston had pulled out the trash can and recycling bin for easy clean up. "This alright, Michonne?" Phillip asked her, nodding towards where he and Langston had left them.

She worked to keep her tone cordial as she replied, "Yes, Phillip, that's great."

Rick came up beside her and put his arm around her. "Everythang looks great, doesn't it?"

"It does," she agreed.

"I think it's time to go touch up the turkey and get to eatin'," Rick declared. "What do y'all say?"

A general round of assent and catcalls was his response.

"Hell yes," Daryl affirmed. "I'm so hungry I could eat a bear."

"You _already_ finished all the almonds and olives," Langston smirked.

"Okay, Michonne and I are gonna start bringin' out the food and we'll call the kids. Get ready for some delicious grub!" Rick laughed, heading back into the house.

He and Michonne walked into the kitchen and found a frantic Judith, a silent Jared and John holding Shiva tightly.

"Daddy, I'm sorry, I tried to stop him!" Judith cried.

There on the island, paw-deep in Rick's maple-bacon, sage-butter turkey, was Shane. He was purring as he attacked it with gusto.

"Oh Juju," Michonne sighed, "what happened? "

Tears ran down Judith's face. "W-we wanted Shiva to meet Shane, and Shane was crying in the garage. I-I let him in, and then he...he…" She hiccuped, remorseful.

Rick's jaw was clenched. "I am gonna _kill_ that cat!" he shouted. He started towards the island. Shane, catching sight of him, momentarily abandoned his repast to start spitting at Rick, tail bristling up as he wrapped his paws around the giant bird protectively.

"Daddy, leave Shane alone! He was just hungry!"

"Rick, calm down…" Michonne warned him as Judith sobbed harder. She pulled the distraught little girl into her arms.

The commotion had brought Daryl, Langston and Glenn running in, as well as Carl, Enid, Octavian and Sophia. Everyone was piled into and around the door well, fighting to see what all the fuss was about.

It took a few seconds for everyone to take it all in. For about ten seconds, the only sounds anyone could hear were Shane's hissing and Judith's muffled sobs as she wept into Michonne's shoulder.

"Bet y'all are glad I brought that squirrel now, huh?" Daryl asked, voice smug.

 **To Be Continued**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 _ *****I don't own TWD or anything to do with TWD. Rest assured, I have acquired no financial gain from this story. It's just fun to tell.*****_

 **Me: Okay, so I lied. I think this story has grown a bit in the telling. We're going to clock in at fourteen chapters total, it's looking like. Stick with me.**

After Michonne managed to pry Shane away from the turkey (with some of it still clinging to his fur and whiskers) and talked Rick out of his plan to murder Shane (aided by a tearful Judith), an inspection of what was left revealed that there was no portion of it that could be salvaged. The bird had been thoroughly marked by cat saliva, fur and paws. There wouldn't be any opportunity to try the recipe that Rick had worked so hard to find.

Daryl had taken out the squirrel meat that he'd brought, assuring everyone that the diet of berries and nuts that squirrels existed on produced a delicious, tender meat not completely unlike pork. Carol had come in to whip up some pasta as a main course for the less adventurous who did not want to sample squirrel and was being assisted by Ezekiel, who was managing the sauce. Everyone else had cleared out of the kitchen, either setting up the table with the numerous side dishes, or steering clear of an obviously infuriated Rick. Judith, with encouragement from Michonne, had carried a purring, full Shane off to the living room, out of reach of Rick.

"Rick, I'm sorry, I know you worked hard on that turkey and it's really disappointing," Michonne ventured, taking in the thunderous expression on her husband's handsome face. "But if Shane had stayed in the garage, none of this could've happened. It was just a dumb accident. Shane's only a cat, he acts on instinct. You're a human being. You have control of yourself."

"Don't defend that fucking cat to _me_ ," Rick snapped, eliciting a sound of disapproval from Ezekiel at the foul word. "I _know_ he's an animal...but he's an animal who always seems to screw things up for me, whether it's chewin' up my socks, keepin' me away from you and Jude or _eatin'_ the turkey that was supposed to feed all our guests."

Michonne mentally cursed herself for the tactic she'd tried to employ to calm Rick. It hadn't been the wisest course of action, trying to convince him that Shane was innocent. For whatever reason, the cat _did_ seem to have it in for Rick, and she herself had used it to her advantage when she'd been mad at him. Of _course_ Rick was going to be pissed.

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him soundly. "You're right. Tomorrow we'll start looking into obedience training for Shane. He has to understand that you live here, too, and that he can't behave however he wants when it comes to you or your things...even if it's a delicious turkey."

"'Chonne, I'm serious," Rick said testily, not quite mollified by her speech or the kiss.

She kissed him again. "So am I. He's gonna have to learn who's boss...or we'll need to find another home for him. We need to find a way for you two to peacefully co-exist. He may not have to love you...but he's gonna learn to respect you."

"Well put," Ezekiel chimed in. "The feline must learn the proper respect for his sovereign. Your spouse is wise, Rick. I think it best you heed her counsel."

Carol drained the ravioli. "Don't let that damn cat ruin Thanksgiving. Even without the turkey, we've still got some pretty delicious food. My sweet potato biscuits are pretty amazing, if I do say so myself."

"Carol tells no falsehood. As all of her other cooking, they are indeed magnificent," Ezekiel corroborated, placing a kiss on Carol's cheek as she continued to drain the pasta. "My lady is most gifted."

She turned to give him a dazzling smile. "And my man is a shameless flatterer. That sauce ready, sweetheart?"

"It is," Ezekiel confirmed.

"C'mon, Rick," Michonne wheedled. "We can still enjoy the holiday. Don't let Shane spoil everything. Please?" She fluttered her lashes at him for good measure.

His expression softened. "What else can I do, when you look at me like that?" he grumbled. He rested his forehead against hers. "You're too charming for your own good."

She laughed. "I'm glad you think so."

"I think we're good on the pasta here," Carol advised. "Just need a serving spoon."

"Ezekiel, would you mind?" Michonne asked. "There's large spoons in the drawer near you."

"But of course!" Ezekiel exclaimed. "I am yours to command." He pulled open the drawer and pulled out a couple of large spoons. "Shall we bring these victuals out to our famished comrades, lovely Carol?"

"Yup, I'm pretty sure the natives are restless. Follow me, Zeke. Michonne? Rick? You guys coming?"

"We'll be along in just a minute, Carol," Rick answered, grinning at her. "Can you make sure everyone heads outside?" Carol nodded in reply. They exited the kitchen towards the patio, leaving Rick and Michonne alone in the kitchen.

"What are you up to?" Michonne asked Rick suspiciously.

He leaned forward, releasing breath into her ear, then dancing his tongue around the lobe gently. He placed his hands on her hips, caressing them, then clamping down firmly.

"Rick...this is not a good idea," Michonne whispered.

Ignoring her, he brought his tongue down to her jaw, nibbling lightly there, then brought his mouth to her throat, where he kissed softly. She gasped as he changed the pressure, sucking the delicate flesh of her neck between his lips while he used the tip of his tongue to stimulate, knowing that it was a sensitive spot.

He turned her around roughly, hands going to the hem of her skirt and shoving it up. His mouth turned its attentions to the back of her neck, unrelenting as she began to tremble. His hand trailed down her thigh, then went to her center and pushed aside her thong to stimulate the bundle of nerves there with his forefinger. He ground his arousal against her.

"Rick...we need to...go outside…"

He inserted the finger that had been rubbing her in between her wet folds, bringing his other hand up to cup her breast as his mouth continued to work magic on the back of her neck. She moaned, overwhelmed by the overload of stimuli and the feel of him hard against her backside.

"Rick...please…" Her protest was faint, barely audible.

"I want you." His voice was hoarse, gritty with desire in her ear. "I want you down on this floor, spread out for me." His finger moved faster. "I want my tongue on you, then in you." His tone became slightly gloating as he felt a rush of fluid coat his finger and work its way down her thighs. "I want to be deep in you, your legs wrapped around me as I pound you against that floor." She shivered, making him nip sharply at her ear. "I want you on all fours as I take you from behind. I want you to ride me until I release inside you." Her hips began to move, almost involuntarily.

"I...I want all of that," she replied breathily.

He added his middle finger to his forefinger, her arousal making easy accommodation for both. He worked her faster. "Ask me," he demanded. "Beg me."

"Please, Rick...please…" She sighed as his mouth found the back of her neck again. She strained towards release, his words echoing in her head. It was dangerous and beyond stupid...but suddenly all she wanted was her back on the floor and him on top of her.

Abruptly, he pulled away from her, causing her skirt to fall back down. "You're right," he said reasonably, all heat leaving his voice. "We have guests. We should be getting outside." His eyes regarded her coolly, taking in the heaving of her chest and the anger beginning to creep into her eyes.

"I...you...what the _hell_ …" she sputtered, feeling her frustration mount exponentially.

He brought the fingers that had been playing with her to his lips and ran his tongue over them, then sucked them into his mouth, lingering. "Mmmmmmm." The sound was approving. "Whets the appetite."

Michonne was ready to cripple him. "You son of a-"

"Remember," he cut her off, "you're a human being. _You_ have control of yourself."

There were no words filthy enough for what her response was

He started to head out to the patio, but paused to throw her a look over his shoulder. "Take a minute, love. We'll continue this...later."

 **To Be Continued**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 _ *****The usual disclaimers. Don't own nuthin' TWD. Don't sue, please.*****_

Everyone was seated around the tables, with the exception of Shane and Shiva, who were curled up together in the living room. They had taken to each other quickly, the tiger - striped kitten curling up in the bigger half-moon that Shane made when laid out. Shane seemed to regard the kitten like a small child that needed protecting, placing a protective paw over her while grooming the top of her head...or maybe he was just in a good mood due to all the turkey.

Michonne had followed her husband out to the patio after a few minutes time, citing a quick trip to the bathroom as the reason. The muffled thump that was heard and Rick's groan after she sat down next to him Rick attributed to accidentally bumping his shin on the table leg. Michonne smiled sweetly at him, knowing that it was her foot kicking it that had caused the injury. She patted his arm. "Be careful, honey," she cooed.

He shot her a half-amused, half-pained look. "Will do, darlin'," he choked out.

The adults were seated at one table, all the kids and Daryl were at the other. Daryl was busy entertaining the kids with (mostly) cleaned-up tales of bounty hunting. "Uncle" Daryl tended to be a great favorite amongst them, particularly Sophia.

"So your daughter Penny wasn't able to come today?" Maggie asked Phillip.

"No. Unfortunately, my little princess seems to have taken ill," Phillip related. "My parents are in Macon, and they've had her for the week for the holiday. Mom called me this morning to say it looks like she's sick, so we thought it best to not bring her in case she infected anyone here."

"That's too bad," Maggie replied sympathetically. "Hopefully she feels better soon."

"Thank you, that's mighty kind. Mom has lots of home remedies that are pretty effective. I should know. I was her guinea pig!" he chortled.

"Even without the turkey, everything looks really good!" Langston said approvingly. "Let's dig in, y'all!"

A sharp rap on his knuckles stopped him from dishing up some stuffing. "Not yet, boy!" Odette scolded. "It's Thanksgiving! First let's say a blessing over all this good food. Then we should go around the table and everyone should say at least one thing they're thankful for. Honestly...I didn't raise you to be a heathen."

"No, but somehow I still ended up that way," Langston smirked.

"Just for that," Odette countered, "you can say the blessing. Don't sass me, boy." Michonne snickered.

Langston heaved a sigh. "Fine. We've been waiting forever to eat...what's a few more hours? Okay. Everyone join hands and bow your heads." Everyone complied to both requests, though some more readily than others. Michonne stifled a groan when she realized she had to take Phillip's hand...but made sure she grasped his as firmly as he was grasping hers. Damned if she wouldn't give as good as she got.

"Dear God, Buddha, Flying Spaghetti Monster or whatever power you choose to put your belief in," Langston recited, (earning another quick rap on his knuckles from Odette) "thank you for this wonderful bounty set before us. Even though it doesn't include Rick's maple-bacon, sage-butter turkey, which is currently working its way through the digestive track of that devil cat in the living room."

"Boy, I'm warning you…" Odette couldn't completely keep all the amusement out of her voice as she struggled to sound stern. Most of the people at both tables were working hard to maintain straight faces...or failing miserably, dissolving into snickers.

"Okay, okay. This bounty (minus the turkey) is one of the many things we're grateful for on this day...but nowhere near as important as the company of friends and family that are gathered here on this joyous Thanksgiving. Please watch over us, one and all. Keep us, by your grace, happy, healthy and together. We owe our gratitude to you. We are very fortunate to have each other. By your grace, may we always continue to be so fortunate."

Both tables sobered up at these words, and affectionate looks were exchanged around the tables by friends and family.

Langston brought it home. "Bless us, one and all. And please make sure no one gets food poisoning from Daryl's squirrel. Amen."

"Amen!" echoed everyone else, amidst fits of laughter and an indignant, "There ain't nothin' wrong with that squirrel!" from Daryl.

"Okay, Tiny Tim, why don't you start us off on what you're thankful for, too?" Michonne jibed.

"I'm thankful I'm having the ravioli," was Langston's rebuttal, immediately followed by an "Ow!" as Odette affectionately cuffed him.

"I'm thankful for my beautiful children," Odette contributed. "Even the mouthy ones."

"I'm, uh, thankful for stuff," Rick mumbled, a bit flustered at being put on the spot. "And thangs. But mostly...that I have so many of the people who matter most to me in this world here today."

"I'm thankful we have so many wonderful people to share today with, too," Michonne declared, giving Rick's hand a squeeze.

"I'm thankful for the new lady in my life," Phillip declared, placing a kiss on Andrea's cheek while Michonne restrained an eye roll.

"I'm thankful for the new man in mine," Andrea responded, returning the kiss.

"I'm thankful for the new addition to our family. We're lucky to have Enid with us now," Maggie said sweetly. "She was our missing piece."

"I'm thankful for the same thing Maggie said," Glenn offered. "And that we don't have any cats."

"I'm thankful for the lovely partner it has been my joy to embark upon a new journey with," Ezekiel announced. "I welcome the opportunity to share my life with she and Sophia."

"I'm thankful to have more happiness in my life and Sophia's life," Carol said quietly, taking Ezekiel's hand, "and for someone who is good to us."

"I'm thankful I caught so many squirrels," Daryl cracked.

"I'm thankful for Octavian's help with ping pong today," Sophia blushed.

"I'm thankful for being off school this week," Octavian joked.

"I'm thankful for Shiva!" Judith piped up.

"I'm thankful for my new sister," Jared murmured.

"I'm thankful for my new little bro," Enid answered tenderly, "and Glenn and Maggie."

"I'm thankful for dessert," John advised.

"And I'm thankful we're done giving thanks, 'cause I'm starving," Carl quipped. "Let's eat!"

 **To Be Continued**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 _ *****I don't own TWD or profit from it in any way. I just restructure it to suit my tastes...and maybe yours.*****_

 **Me: I've had fun writing this. I really hope you've had fun reading it. We've come to the end of Thanksgiving with Richonne...but Christmas is up ahead. Who knows who will show up for that? Thanks so much for sticking with me. As always, I love knowing what you think, good or bad.**

After the last guest had been packed off, (in a few cases, with food) the household did some clean up. Rick was out in the backyard putting away the torches and various other implements they'd used. A sleepy Judith had been put to bed with Shane, and Carl was helping Michonne out in the kitchen. He was loading the dishwasher while she packed away the food they had left.

"You were right about the shirt, Mich," Carl advised her. "She liked it."

"Told ya." She grinned at him. "And the dreaded Ron?"

"A friend. She wants to help him out 'cause he's new...like she was," Carl explained.

So she'd been right about that, too. She allowed herself an internal high-five. "That's good news."

"Thanks," Carl said, putting the silverware into the utensil basket. "You always help me out, Mich."

"And I always will, kiddo," she replied softly.

They worked in companionable silence for a few minutes. Carl made her jump a little by breaking it. "Mich?"

"What's up?"

"This thing with my mom…" He trailed off and didn't say anything for a few seconds. She waited, giving him time to collect his thoughts.

He continued. "You...you know that doesn't change _us_ , right? That-that you're still...well, you know." He flushed a little. "You're still my parent, too."

She gazed at him, her eyes warm. "I'm glad," she said simply.

"It's just...you know, my mom…"

"Kiddo, you don't have to explain. She's your mom, you love her. I _do_ get it," she assured him, knowing that it was the truth, despite her resentment.

"But I...I _want_ to tell you. She's been gone awhile now. Judith doesn't really get who she is. But...I remember." His eyes became distant. "She used to make pancakes on Sunday. They weren't really good...Dad and I had to kinda choke 'em down...but it was something she did, every Sunday. Sometimes...she used to sing to me. She...she used to sing that I was...her sunshine. Her _only_ sunshine. Sometimes...she'd look really sad."

Michonne didn't speak while he paused. He seemed to be struggling with what he had to say next.

"Sometimes, she'd say mean stuff to Dad. She'd say mean stuff _about_ him when he wasn't around. I don't think she was happy when she left. She yelled at Dad...she said it was his fault." His eyes were unfocused, lost in memory. "It hurt a lot when she left. I...was mad at her. Like, for a long time. I'm still kinda mad. But...I missed her, too. I didn't tell her that, when I'd see her or when she'd call. I didn't want her to know those things."

Michonne didn't interject. He needed to get this out, all of it. She didn't want to throw him off.

"That letter...she _was_ sad. She _was_ mad at Dad. But...now she's all alone. And it does sound like she's trying. See, Mich...Judith and me, we're not alone. We have you and Dad. And everyone else. She _is_ all alone. If we don't try to be there for her...she _will_ be all alone.

"I know that she could mess up again. I know that she could run away again...because that's something she does. If she does...it'd hurt. But it'd still be kind of okay...because I...I'd still have you." He looked at her, his heart in his eyes. "I'm sorry, 'cause I know it's asking a lot. But...I don't want to do to her what she did to us. I don't want to be like her. I want...well, I want to be like _you_."

Michonne sniffled. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I seem to be doing this a lot, lately. At least we're not in public, this time." She wiped away a tear.

He hugged her, and this time he didn't pull away quickly. She squeezed him back. "Thank you," he whispered. "I love you, Mich."

The sniffling turned into a sob. "My tear ducts just aren't getting a break," she said thickly. "I love you, too, kiddo." After a minute, she pulled away, rubbing her eyes fiercely. "Geez. This food isn't gonna put itself away, huh?"

He smiled at her. "Nope."

He got back to loading the dishwasher, while she packed away the remnants of the chocolate silk pie. (The sweet potato had been, predictably, demolished. Good thing she'd made two) "I don't know how we're gonna eat all of this in the next few days," Michonne observed, rearranging containers to fit it all into the fridge neatly. "Don't tell your dad I said this...but maybe it's a good thing Shane ate that turkey."

"It _is_ a lot of food," Carl said pensively. The expression on his face was hard to read...but not for Michonne.

"You know...if you _wanted_ to, we could take some to your mom tomorrow," Michonne suggested quietly. His eyes met hers directly. "Or not. Whatever you want to do. Whenever you're ready."

He didn't respond right away. "I'd like to do that. There's some really good stuff here...I'd like her to try it. Maybe you...could come with me? Maybe you could meet her, if that's okay with both of you? And we'll ask Judith if she wants to go."

"Sounds like a plan to me, kiddo. Do you want to call her? See what time works for her tomorrow? I think I'm about done here."

"Yeah," he affirmed. "That's a good idea."

"Well, then I think I'll go see if your dad needs any help out back."

Rick was putting away the last of the folding chairs when she got outside. The patio was pretty much clear, now. "I guess I got here too late," she observed. "Looks like you've done everything."

He leaned the last folding chair against one of the retaining walls for the flower beds and laughed. "Not everything. Langston, Ezekiel and Carol helped with the tables before they left. Would've helped with the other stuff, but I told 'em not to worry. This isn't so much."

She wrapped her arms around him. "I think Carl and I, maybe Juju too, are gonna be dropping off some of the leftovers to Lori, tomorrow. He's calling her now to work out the details."

His brow furrowed. "Are you gonna be alright with that? You don't think it's too soon? I could take 'em, you know. Just me, even though I'd rather not." He raised a hand to her cheek and cupped it.

"It'll be okay." Her eyes sparkled and her voice left no room for doubt. "We have a pretty great kid, you know?"

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Yeah, I do know. But he's got a pretty great mom." He pulled her close, enjoying her warmth. The night air was cool, but she was hot.

She released a stream of breath into his ear, causing him to shiver, before her teeth closed around the lobe. "If I'm not mistaken, you owe me some release," she purred. "I think we should excuse ourselves for the night...and lock our door for the next few hours."

He gave her a deep kiss, hands roaming across the curves of her body for a good long while before he broke the kiss to speak. "I think that's a great idea. I still have some thanks to give."

She grinned at him wickedly. "So do I. With no interruptions, we can give thanks a few times. C'mon, gorgeous. I've been waiting a while now. Let's go inside and I can give thanks to every inch of you...and you can do the same."

He lifted her into the air, wrapping her legs around his waist. She held on tightly around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He hurried inside, moving as quickly as he could carrying her weight. He was glad they'd be able to get upstairs out of view of the kitchen as his hands caressed her ass.

"Going to bed now, Carl," he called out as they reached the foot of the stairs. "See you in the morning!"

 **The End**


End file.
